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Odys Riaud
Although their ruins are present on every habitable planet in the Cordens system, and several uninhabitable ones, the Odys Riaud's influence on most races seems to have been negligible at most. Beyond contributing an alphabet to the race of Hive, and appearing in mythology across multiple cultures, the Riaud are barely acknowledged outside of urban legends. Etymology and Other Names Odys Riaud is a phrase from Odys Khel meaning "Knights of the Stars." Despite the lack of any members of the race to speak to or method of contacting them, the Many Minds have nonetheless managed to decipher the Odys Riaud's languages, based on artifacts recovered from ruins across Hive. The races of Fexalere refer to the Riaud by name, mostly for lack of a term with quite the same implications in their own tongues. Biology and Anatomy Though basically similar to scorpions, albeit without the oversized front claws, Riaud anatomy has several notable deviations from their much smaller "relatives." Beyond the lack of claws, Riaud posess a head separate from their thorax, a bipedal form with two primary arms and two legs, a single pair of secondary arms, distinct antennae and evidence of a "fluffy fur-like collar" (technical terminology) of sorts separating head and thorax. Due to the lack of living or suffieintly well preserved Riaud to examine, only rough guesses are possible as to their coloration. Current belief points towards a primarily drab race, favoring browns, tans, and dull yellows, accented with more monochromatic claws and stingers, based on what surviving color art the race left behind and analysis of viable exoskeleton fragments. Evidence also exists that points towards potential toxin-production organs in the Riaud, something few other races (such as the Kanirineta) share. However, the potency and effects of this toxin, assumed to be delivered through the prominent stinger tail, are still unknown to science. This has not stopped urban legends from claiming the stings of this race can cause nausea, hallucinations, necrosis, a faint smell of nutmeg, and suffocation. Bizarrely, the estimated size of the Odys Riaud, based on what remains have been recovered, seems much smaller than what their architecture would imply. Sociology and Culture Most assertions on Odys Riaud culture come from a position of conjecture, more than fact, and tend to be based primarily on the architecture and tools present in their ruins. As it stands, however, there are a few widely accepted notions of Odys Riaud culture: *The Riaud were a superstitious people, believing in some form of power from the stars that would choose their leaders. *Farming received little respect, as discovered Riaud farms were all located far from any ruins that would have held significant numbers of Riaud. *Riaud tools found in caves and canyons imply a certain degree of agoraphobia present in the race. *Many Riaud ruins have a radial design, with the central building still having traces of magic present millenia later. Behavior Riaud seemed to have an unusual behavior pattern, based on findings and expeditions into their ruins. Although the Riaud are said to have gone extinct shortly after humans were discovered on Minlorem, caves from up to four hundred years later have been found to contain Riaud artifacts. More unusually, though, is that the race seemed to have an almost antagonistic relationship with flora, based on their farms and some salvaged art. Naming Odys Riaud naming rules mostly come from translated texts found on Hive, as extrapolations based on the names found within. Riaud names lean heavily on harsh, grating sounds, and often seem to be interspersed with clicks and other unwritten noises. Due to the complexity of their language, Riaud names are written according to their meanings, something scholars believe to have been common among the race itself Example Names: Roaring Bulwark, Subtle Knifepoint, Jinxing Gaze Racial Traits The Odys Riaud were a Medium Native Outsider race, though certain individuals could also be Small. Those with Odys Riaud characters would be able to select between +2 Strength, -2 Charisma, and -2 Wisdom or +2 Intelligence and -2 Constitution. Secret Seeing: Riaud may use any ability or spell like ability they have seen at level-appropriate effectiveness, as long as they have seen it used in the last day. Forgotten Blessing: Once per day, Riaud may remove themselves or one ally from play for one round. While removed from play, the individual may not attack or be attacked, occupies no squares, and cannot be seen or heard. While removed from play, the individual heals 1d8+user's level HP. Green Thumb: Riaud gain +2 Spellcraft and +2 Knowledge (Nature) Category:Fexalere Category:Fexalere Races